Capcom's top executives have pointed to the PlayStation 5's premium pricing as a significant factor contributing to Monster Hunter Wilds falling short of its sustained sales targets. While Monster Hunter Wilds emerged as one of 2025's top-selling and most praised releases, the PS5's high entry cost has seemingly limited the game's ongoing commercial performance.

Upon its February debut, Monster Hunter Wilds achieved phenomenal success, moving eight million copies within its first three days and setting a new record as Capcom's fastest-selling title. By April, sales had exceeded 10 million units, and the game reached an impressive peak of 1.4 million simultaneous players on Steam—surpassing popular titles like Elden Ring and Dota 2. Despite these strong indicators, Capcom leadership believes the game underperformed relative to their long-term expectations.

Last month, Capcom revealed that Monster Hunter Wilds did not achieve anticipated long-term sales, and it failed to drive supplementary franchise sales to the extent seen with new Resident Evil or Devil May Cry installments. In a recent interview with Nikkei Gaming, Capcom president Haruhito Tsujimoto provided more context, noting that although the game met its initial sales goal of 10 million units, momentum declined shortly afterward. He highlighted the "unexpectedly significant" obstacle created by the PS5's retail price, which is approximately 80,000 yen ($540) in Japan.

Tsujimoto emphasized that when accounting for peripherals, game software, and online subscriptions, the overall cost for new PS5 owners can exceed 100,000 yen ($675), creating a substantial financial hurdle—particularly for younger gamers with limited budgets in Japan and internationally. It is worth noting that the PS5 underwent price increases in multiple key markets this year, with Sony attributing the adjustments to economic pressures and unfavorable currency exchange rates. Capcom's own financial data supports these observations, showing that only 477,000 units of Monster Hunter Wilds were sold between April and June.

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